Portland-area businesses unite for arts-education funding

Milwaukies Linwood Elementary received a bass xylophone on Thursday for its childrens music program, as well as additional funding to purchase new instruments from $700 in donations from Swipe4TheKids.

The program allowed local companies to forward a portion of their merchant services fee to the school for revitalizing its music program.

The elementary school learned about the Swipe4TheKids program, in which it could become a beneficiary to help fill the funding gaps in its music program and other enrichment activities whose budgets were recently cut. It took local businesses like Portlands Arthur Murray Dance Studio and WL May Co. to join as the participating businesses that would effortlessly fuel the funding for the school, just by signing onto the program.

A portion of the merchant services fee, already incurred by the company, is then forwarded to fund the youth enrichment programming that has seen budgetary cutbacks. Linwood Elementary and the participating businesses are thrilled to see that their success translates to the success of children in their community.

It is a great privilege to see our donation go to such a deserving and worthy cause as the Linwood music program. As dancers we have such a strong connection to music and want to see that passion passed down to younger generations. said Phil Auer, owner of three Arthur Murray Dance Studios, including the Portland location whose Swipe4TheKids funding supports Linwood Elementary.